It’s true that “wickedness never was happiness” (Alma 41:10). Breaking the commandments will lead to sorrow sooner or later.
But does that mean that every time you’re unhappy, you must’ve done something wrong?
No!
You know what else can make us unhappy? Regular life! Other people’s bad decisions! Natural disasters! Pandemics! There’s no shortage of discouraging events that aren’t our fault at all. Sometimes we need to let ourselves grieve these hard things that happen.
There are also things like clinical depression and other conditions that can affect the chemicals in our brain and lead to a variety of challenging emotions for no apparent reason.
If you feel sad a lot, or frequently feel hopeless, talk to an adult about what is going on. There are lots of resources—and there is no shame in asking for help!
And if you think your sadness is being caused by some bad choices you’ve made, pray about it and talk with Heavenly Father. You might also consider talking to your bishop about it. There is always a way back to peace, thanks to the Atonement of Jesus Christ.
Magazine Connection
Notes
In some places, September is suicide prevention month!
Find more resources at MentalHealth.ChurchofJesusChrist.org.